Smoky Baked Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Baked sweet potato black bean burgers with smoked paprika, cumin, cilantro and oats. They hold together, crisp at the edges and freeze well for quick lunches.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 32 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
Smoky Baked Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers is a vegan lunch recipe made with sweet potato, black beans, rolled oats. It takes 52 minutes of hands-on time, plus 15 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 157 calories, 6 g of protein and 6 g of fiber.
These burgers stay together because of two steps. You mash only half the beans, and you blitz half the oats into flour. The flour soaks up moisture from the sweet potato, so you don't need egg or breadcrumbs. Patting the beans dry and chilling the shaped patties keeps them firm enough to flip. Smoked paprika, cumin and a splash of soy sauce make them taste savory, not sweet.
Ingredients
Burgers
- 1 large169 gsweet potato, scrubbed (about 1 1/2 cups mashed flesh)
- 1 can240 gblack beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry, 15-oz can
- 1 cup81 grolled oats, divided
- 3 45 ggreen onions, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup5.3 gfresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp3.5 gsmoked paprika
- 1 tsp2.1 gground cumin
- ½ tsp1.6 ggarlic powder
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce
- 1 tbsp15 glime juice
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- ¼ tsp0.6 gblack pepper
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil, for brushing
To serve
- 6 264 gvegan burger buns, toasted (optional)
- 1 medium150 gavocado, sliced (optional)
- ¼ medium28 gred onion, thinly sliced (optional)
- ¼ cup56 gvegan mayonnaise or salsa (optional)
Kit: food processor or blender, large bowl, potato masher, baking sheet, parchment paper, thin metal spatula
Tips
- Dry the beans well. Wet beans are the main reason bean burgers fall apart.
- Only mash half the beans. The whole ones give the burgers texture so they don't turn pasty.
- The patties firm up as they cool, so they'll handle best after resting 5 minutes.
- For freezing, you can bake them for just 15 minutes, cool and freeze. Finish baking from frozen at 400°F for 15–20 minutes.
Swap ideas
- Roast the sweet potato at 400°F for 45–55 minutes instead of microwaving
- The flesh is drier and sweeter, so the patties bind more easily. It takes longer.
- Pan-fry in 1 tbsp neutral oil over medium heat, 4–5 minutes per side
- Gives a crisper, darker crust. Only flip once the bottom is browned.
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce, and use certified gluten-free oats and buns
- Makes the burgers gluten-free with no change in flavor or texture.
- Add 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1 minced jalapeño
- Adds smoky heat that goes well with the paprika.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
157kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 0.5 g 3%
- Sugars
- 1.7 g
- Sodium
- 360 mg 16%
- Potassium
- 350 mg 7%
- Calcium
- 39 mg 3%
- Iron
- 2.1 mg 12%
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg 3%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Sweet potato, raw, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt, Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw, Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw, Spices, paprika, Spices, cumin seed, Spices, garlic powder (SR Legacy), Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Lime juice, raw, Salt, table, Spices, pepper, black, Oil, olive, salad or cooking
Method
Prick the sweet potato all over with a fork. Microwave on high for 7–10 minutes, turning it halfway, until a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance. Halve it and leave it to steam off for a few minutes.
Pulse 1/2 cup of the oats in a food processor or blender until they look like coarse flour. Leave the remaining 1/2 cup whole.
Scoop the sweet potato flesh into a large bowl and discard the skin. Add half the black beans and mash with a fork or potato masher until mostly smooth.
Add the remaining whole beans, the oat flour, the whole oats, green onions, cilantro, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, soy sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly combined. The mixture should hold together when squeezed. If it's sticky, add whole oats 1 tablespoon at a time.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Using a 1/2-cup measure, shape the mixture into 6 patties about 3/4 inch thick, wetting your hands so it doesn't stick. Chill them on the sheet for 15 minutes while the oven heats to 400°F (200°C).
Brush the tops of the patties with half the oil. Bake for 15 minutes, until they're dry on top and lightly browned underneath.
Flip each patty carefully with a thin spatula and brush with the remaining oil. Bake for 12–15 minutes more, until both sides are golden and the edges are crisp and firm to a light press.
Rest the burgers on the sheet for 5 minutes so they set. Serve on toasted buns with avocado, red onion and mayo or salsa.
Storage: Refrigerate cooled burgers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool completely, separate with parchment and freeze flat in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes, or in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side, until hot in the center.
Questions
- How much protein is in smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers?
- Each of the 6 servings has 6 g of protein, 6 g of fiber and 157 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 32 minutes of cooking, so 52 minutes of hands-on time, plus 15 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers ahead?
- Refrigerate cooled burgers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze, cool completely, separate with parchment and freeze flat in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes, or in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat for 4–5 minutes per side, until hot in the center.
- What can I substitute in smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers?
- Roast the sweet potato at 400°F for 45–55 minutes instead of microwaving — the flesh is drier and sweeter, so the patties bind more easily. it takes longer.. Pan-fry in 1 tbsp neutral oil over medium heat, 4–5 minutes per side — gives a crisper, darker crust. only flip once the bottom is browned.. Use tamari instead of soy sauce, and use certified gluten-free oats and buns — makes the burgers gluten-free with no change in flavor or texture.. Add 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1 minced jalapeño — adds smoky heat that goes well with the paprika..
- Does smoky baked sweet potato black bean burgers contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 10, 2026 ·American
